Trump Administration’s Gaudy Gilding of DC Statues Divides Opinions
10Aug. 1, 2026
President Donald Trump on July 27showed off pictureson his Truth social account of two freshly gilded equestrian statues near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, opening the floodgates to avariety of opinions. The nineteen-foot-high bronze sculptures, now coated in23.75 gold leaf, are two of four horse monuments that the Department of the Interior in April announced it would regild, at acost of $5.1 million.
Designed by American sculptorLeo Friedlander, the works shown on the president’s account are collectively titled “Arts of War” and individually feature a nude male astride a horse. The two sit on the east side of the Arlington National Bridge leading to the Lincoln Memorial. Nearby sits another pair of equestrian statues, also of bronze, titled “Arts of Peace,” each depicting a striding nude male accompanied by a Pegasus and designed by American sculptorJames Earle Fraser. All four statues were a thank-you gift from Italy following the end of World War II.
In announcing the forthcoming refurbishment of the statues, which were originally surfaced in gold, the administration said it had awarded no-bid contract to a studio in Maryland in the interest of time. All four statues were intended to be regilded by July 4, in celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. While the scaffolding around “Arts of War” has come down, the gold-plating of “Arts of Peace” is now projected to be finished by the end of September.
An informal poll conducted by local radio station WTOP News showed opinions to be divided, with one interviewee calling the gussied-up statues “super shiny” and “beautiful” and another saying the new finish looked like “Home Depot gold spray paint.”
Said one longtime DC resident: “I think there’s a better use for the funds than polishing up these horses.”
The refreshed statues’ unveiling arrives as Trump continues his aggressive push to remake Washington, DC, according to his tastes. Other projects underway include the construction of a large ballroom adjacent to the White House and a 250-foot triumphal arch. A recent no-bid renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool proved unsuccessful; a new no-bid contract to fix it was awarded to the same contractor responsible for the original repairs.